Hitman outs Gens

UPDATE: IGN has reported that this information is untrue. Sorry, guys, but I did say there was no confirmation and it was just nacho water cooler talk! Still, good news though, right?!

There's no confirmation of this yet, but word around that enormous porcelain and nacho water cooler that sits pretty in the JoBlo.com office is that Xavier Gens is having his control of HITMAN yanked by Fox, who dislike his bloody and explicitly violent cut of the film. Apparently, his version featured multiple headshots and 'extreme gore moments' that would have banked the film a hard R. I find it ironic that when a film about which I have on several occasions articulated my distaste with finally gets some good news (multiple headshots, hard R), they don't even wait for the article to be over before yanking the rug out from under me. I'm not really sure what the studio heads thought was going to happen, given that the videogame was ultra-violent and that Gens had on several occasions spoken of his inspiration being THE KILLER and A BITTERSWEET LIFE. Nicolas De Toth (the guy who edited a bloodless LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) has been brought in to deliver a cleaner cut. Yippee.

Extra Tidbit:

I'm at a loss as to how Gens' career hasn't exploded by now, the man learnt his trade as Trainee Assistant Director on DOUBLE TEAM with Van Damme and Dennis Rodman!!